Naksan Beach

From the mouth of the Namdaecheon, which flows down from Seoraksan, to the foot of the hill where Naksansa Temple stands, a strip of sand runs for 1,810 m. Since it opened in 1963, Naksan Beach has drawn more than a million visitors every summer, making it one of the signature beaches of Gangwon's east coast. The water is only about 1.5 m deep even 70 m out, which makes swimming easy, and at the northern end the sunrise spot of Uisangdae at Naksansa is close at hand.

The beach

A long belt of pines backs the sand, white beach against dark green forest. At one end is Naksan Port, overlooked by the hill of Naksansa Temple. At the other, the Namdaecheon coming down from Seoraksan forms a large lagoon at its mouth, so there is plenty of fresh water. The beach and the Naksansa area together form Naksan Provincial Park.

What to see

• Sand and pines: walking the 1.8 km beach, you have pine shade on one side and the sea on the other.
• Naksansa and Uisangdae: on the hill at the northern end stands Naksansa, said to have been founded by the Silla monk Uisang. Uisangdae, a pavilion on the seaside cliff, is the famous sunrise spot of Naksansa, itself one of the east coast's classic eight views.
• Namdaecheon estuary: at the southern end, river meets sea. The Namdaecheon is one of Korea's best-known salmon rivers, where fish return from the ocean to spawn. Each autumn a festival is held on its banks; in 2026 it was combined with Yangyang's famous pine mushrooms as the "Yangyang Songi and Salmon Festival" on 16–18 October, with catching salmon by hand among the favourite activities.
• Water sports: in summer you can try banana boats and jet skis.
• Sunrise: the beach stays busy in winter too because of the sunrise. On New Year's Day a sunrise event is held around Naksansa.

Walking on to Naksansa

Past Naksan Port at the northern end, the path climbs straight up to Naksansa. From the beach you can see the temple buildings and woods on the headland, with Uisangdae and Hongnyeonam hermitage on the cliffs at its tip. Few places on the east coast put a swimming beach and a major temple so close together, so the day plans itself: sunrise at Uisangdae in the morning, the beach in the afternoon.

Tripto tips

• Swimming: during the summer season, swimming is allowed 09:00–18:00. The season is set each year somewhere between mid-July and late August, so check Yangyang county notices.
• Parking: the car park takes about 150 cars. On peak-season weekends, arrive early in the morning.
• When to go: July and August for swimming; spring, autumn and winter for quiet walks and sunrises.
• Time needed: 1 hour for a beach walk, half a day with Naksansa and Uisangdae.
• Getting there: buses from Seoul's Dong Seoul Bus Terminal reach Yangyang in about 2 hours 10 minutes, and from the Seoul Express Bus Terminal in Gangnam in about 2 hours 40 minutes. From Yangyang Bus Terminal continue to Naksan by local bus or taxi. By car, the Seoul–Yangyang Expressway takes about 2 hours 10 minutes.
• Nearby: Seoraksan National Park and the city of Sokcho are close, ideal for an overnight trip linking Seorak, Yangyang and Sokcho.